The Catalans are rightly considered as one of the biggest clubs if not the biggest team on the planet, and the titles which they have won in recent years is a testament to that statement. However, there is no hiding the fact that all their success has been due to the outstanding attack which the club possesses. When one looks at their back four, they maybe are not that solid in defense.
Barcelona were forced to face the naked truth about their frailties in defense last season, most notably when they were humiliated 7-0 on aggregate by eventual UEFA Champions League winners Bayern Munich. Therefore, incoming manager Gerardo Martino has acknowledged the need to buy a big name center-back soon. They were understood to be very keen on Paris Saint-Germain’s skipper Thiago Silva, however they have now lost out on him as the Brazilian signed a new contract with the French champions. They have therefore turned their attention to other prospective names, which include Arsenal’s Vermaelen.
The Belgian international was a target for Barcelona last summer too, however he instead chose to stay put at the Emirates Stadium and take over the vacant captain’s armband. The previous season however was a difficult one for him as he eventually lost his place in the starting 11 following a succession of errors in key situations which cost Arsenal dearly. He is therefore now chosen behind the first-choice center-back pairing of Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker.
Daily Mail now reports that Barcelona are reigniting their interest in the 27-year old as they look for a long-term replacement for veteran defender Carlos Puyol, who is not expected to go on for very long now. Apart from Vermaelen, the names of Chelsea’s David Luiz, Liverpool’s Daniel Agger, Manchester City’s Vincent Kompany and Tottenham’s Jan Vertonghen are also understood to being considered by Barcelona.
Will Barcelona come calling for Vermaelen? And if they do, do we expect him to follow the footsteps of Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas and become yet another Arsenal skipper to depart London and head to the Camp Nou?